ANGELA'S ARTISTIC BLOG
Insights, self-help, inspiration, tips and encouragement.
Angela has moved forward in a fresh new direction and is excited to share it with you!
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Monday, July 23, 2012

I discovered this website and fell in love with the shabby chic pillows and sachets! They are adorable! I also love the motto, "Celebrating the Romance of Cottage Style." Just makes me want to run out and dive into a shabby chic cottage.

Where did the term "Shabby Chic" come from? Did you know it wasn't even a term until the 1980's? It has its roots in Great Britain where lovely old country homes were filled with elegant but worn chintz sofas, floral wallpaper and faded curtains. Shabby chic has all of the romance of the Victorian Age paired with sophisticated elegance. Today's shabby chic includes vintage or vintage looking items. Distressed furniture and pillows made with pastels in creamy white, pink or green. Trims are very popular and add to the elegance and richness of the shabby chic room.

Shabby French Themed Hanging Pillow by "Someplace in Tyme

It's fun to decorate in shabby chic style because you can get real bargains at flea markets, thrift stores and garage sales. A little sanding and painting and someone's trash becomes your treasure! Add delicate glass knobs to your dresser to add a touch of period elegance.

Shabby chic can also be a romantic theme for a wedding. Soft, sweet, elegant. Use floral patterned plates and put lacy sachets at each place setting. Drape candles in the center of the table with faux pearl necklaces on round lace place mats. Add vintage books to complete the look.

If you've refinished furniture or a room in shabby chic, we'd love to see it. Share the photos on the comments below!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Feel the fear and do it anyway.That is has been my motto as an adult. That's how I raised my children. One day I heard my son say, "I hate bridges."" I didn't know that. He had just crossed a huge bridge and I asked him why he did it if he was afraid of them. He replied, "That's what you taught me, Mom."

I grew up in an atmosphere of fear. Nothing overt, just subtle holding back, not willing to try, wanting but being too afraid to go for it. It shaped me. I decided I wouldn't let fear stop me from doing what I wanted.

The desire to move ahead with your intended goal or dream must be greater than
the fear that blocks you. It's that simple. Whichever is greater,
desire or fear, will win.

Realize that part of being a risk-taker is living with fear. It doesn't even have to be a BIG goal or risk. Little things like driving to new places can be very scary to some of us!

Learn to be comfortable with that state of being. Get comfortable with fear. Tell yourself it's OK to be afraid. It's OK. It's not the big bad bear and it won't swallow you!

You can address some of your fear by examining it's source. Is it fear of success, of failure, of rejection, of criticism? What, exactly, are you afraid of?

Ask yourself, on a scale of 1-10, how badly you want to do the thing you fear. Then ask yourself, on a scale of 1-10, how much fear you're feeling. Which is greater?

Sit in the fear. Feel it. Make friends with it. Seriously.

Many of our fears are from childhood. So parent your inner child. Talk to him/her. Tell your inner child that you understand that they are afraid but you will protect them. It'soften the little child that's afraid, not the grown-up.

Ask yourself, "What's the worse thing that can happen if I do this thing I fear?" I'll get lost? Can I handle that? If you can handle the worst thing, you can handle your fear.

Take one tiny baby step in the direction of your fear. There! You're moving in the right direction.

Fear has enticing, lulling, positive sides to it - it can keep you safe,
keep the status quo, you never have to face failure or be embarrassed
because you screwed up. But you're also never feel the rewards - "I did
it" "I overcame!"

So, the next time you think, "I'm afraid of bridges!" Cross them anyway. "I'm afraid of new places!
Go anyway. "I'm afraid of switching jobs." Do it anyway.

Emotional: Am I emotionally healthy? Am I in an emotionally healthy relationship? Do I work through my emotions in a positive way? Am I willing to look at my inner myself and modify my behavior when it is warranted? Take responsibility for my actions and not blame someone else?

Personal: Am I happy? Am I doing what I want to be doing? Am I contributing to the world in a positive way? If I have children, how am I raising them? Have a done it thoughtfully?

Spiritual: Do I give back to society or am I just taking? Am I available for friends and family when they need me? Do I reach out to the elderly or a sick friend? Do I share my wealth, whether its money, talent or gifts?

Financial: Am I where I want to be financially? Am I self-supporting? Financially comfortable? Do I have financial freedom? Financial security?

Career: Do I have the career that I want? Am I happy doing what I do or just going through the motions? What career would I have if I could have any that I wanted?

Academic: Have I finished the degree I wanted? Have I made steps towards my goal? Have I defined what direction I want to take to better myself? What degree would I want and what would I do with it?

While I can unequivocally say that I was a success at parenting, I falter when it comes to believing that I am a financial success nor have I met my academic goals.

Yet, I've been successful on many levels over the years. So it's time to acknowledge that, YES!, I am a success. Even if I'm not where I want to be financially.

What ruler am I using to measure
"success?" Better question, who's ruler am I using? Maybe it's time to
redefine success for myself.

If you have thoughts on what defines success for you, please feel free to share!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Could this happen to you? I read with interest this blogpost from Handmadeology written by Lisa. Lisa's "Energy Shop" was unceremoniously suspended after she responded to a questionnaire given to her by etsy. They deemed her shop, "wasn't complying with the rules."

This is not the first time I have heard of shops being suspended. Etsy doesn't seem to give much wiggle room nor is there any one-to-one contact to defend your position or question their decision.

This article gives great insights on what to do should this happen to you. Through Lisa's experience, she shares how be prepared. When a shop shuts down, everything is lost including positive feedback comments, photos and descriptions. A few suggestions I found valuable are:

1. Have a backup plan such as a website domain.
2. Record your positive feedback so you can access it to set up your shop elsewhere.
3. Keep your photos handy for setting up shop elsewhere. Picasa or other photo-shop are options.
4. Market your shop on other independent sites. My shop is listed on Handmade Artists, Groovepress, Three Sisters Marketplace, Bonanza, Other possible sites to market your shop include Indiemade and http://retailrapp.com/.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

What can I do
with a Button Bouquet? I am asked this question all the time! People usually think button bouquets are just for weddings - but there are lots of ways to use a button bouquet! Here are 25 ideas: